Buying a new electric car outright is out of reach for many and is often quoted as a barrier to electric vehicle (EV) adoption. With rising fuel prices and fuel shortages, the interest in electric cars is greater than ever, so how do you drive a zero-emissions car without the big cost? The simple answer is to lease one.
There are now many leasing companies offering electric cars for an affordable monthly payment, often similar to that of a petrol or diesel equivalent. Only yesterday, research by LV= General Insurance (LV= GI), one of the UK’s largest insurers of electric cars, found driving an electric vehicle (EV) will save you money over petrol or diesel equivalents.
Not only is leasing great value, but the cost of running an electric vehicle is far cheaper and will also save you money, up to 40 percent, on maintenance. This is because they have fewer moving components, making them less likely to break down.
Here ElectricDrives brings you some of the best leasing deals across a range of cars currently available in the UK:
EDF ENERGY
Volkswagen e-UP £194/month (Including VAT)
Style: Mini Hatchback
Range: 140 miles (225km)
EDF offers the Volkswagen e-Up which is the 100 percent electric version of the smart Up! city car. It is a practical small car that comes with a 32kWh battery and will travel around 140 miles (225km) in real-world conditions on a single charge. This five-door hatchback is ideal for town use and will work well on longer journeys with a little charging planning
ELECTRIC ZOO
Renault ZOE £275/month (Including VAT)
Style: Hatchback
Range: 90 miles (145km)
Electric Zoo, founded by Lash Saranna and his wife Charnjit Saranna, specialise in electric vehicle leasing. While Electric Zoo’s cheapest lease car is the unique looking Renault Twizy costing just £149 per month, we think their offer on the five-seater Renault ZOE offers the greatest value. This five-door hatchback offers a real-world range of around 90 miles from its 22kWh battery. It’s ideal for families for shorter journeys, who don’t require a huge range.
GO GREEN LEASING
Fiat New 500 £259.62/month (Including VAT)
Style: Hatchback
Range: up to 186 miles (300km)
This neat little three-door electric hatchback offers great value costing under £300 per month to lease with Go Green Leasing. It has won fans thanks to the styling that harks back to Italian carmaker’s original from 1957. This modern classic has the same ethos of offering a small, cheap to run and great value car. Being small it’s easy to manoeuvre and park, which makes it ideal for urban use but thanks to its range handles longer trips with ease.
GRIDSERVE
Nissan LEAF £234.93/month (Including VAT)
Style: Hatchback
Range: Up to 168 miles (270km)
The practical Nissan Leaf offers great value and has been a forerunner in the electric car space having been produced for the last decade. This five-door hatchback offers a good balance of size and practicality, especially for family duties. The 110kW Acenta model with its 40kWh battery delivers a solid range making it a good allrounder.
LEASEPLAN
MG5 EV Excite £262/month (Including VAT)
Style: Estate
Range: Up to 250 miles (402km)
While LeasePlan does offer a couple of other cars at a cheaper rate, we think their current offer on MG5 EV provides the best value. Not only does this five-door estate provide plenty of space (up to 1,456 litres with the rear seats folded), it delivers an incredible range for the price. These combined make it a great zero-emissions all-round family car.
OCTOPUS
MG ZS EV £248.83 (Excluding VAT)
Style: Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV)
Range: Up to 270 miles
The family-sized MG ZS EV offers comfort, space and affordability when it comes to driving an electric SUV. This good looking five-door electric vehicle is practical in terms of space and can be charged up to 80 percent in just over an hour with a fast charger. It’s also a solid mover hitting 0-62mph (0-100kph) in 8.4 seconds, with a top speed of 109mph. It’s practical and ideal for family duties for both short and long trips.
